FIP-104 DRAFT: Mining → Index Mining Compounding via Allowlisted Pools

  FIP: 104
  Title: Mining → Index Mining Compounding via Allowlisted Pools
  Author: TheLonelyBit, MrShiddy, Fractal Community Contributors
  Status: Draft
  Revision: Rev-1.3
  Type: Standard Proposal (Staking Policy & Implementation)
  Created: 2026-07-17
  Updated: 2026-07-23
  Requires: FIP-101
  Layer: Staking System (non-consensus)
  Activation: Staking portal, pool allowlist, documentation, client updates, and at least one allowlisted pool attestation path

Language

The key words MUST, MUST NOT, SHOULD, SHOULD NOT, and MAY in this document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119.

Review Note

Binding minimum remains 50 FB for all users (first Binding per indexer). Self-funded Binding is the default path; accumulate-to-50 is optional for small miners.
After Binding, confirmed credits to the bound stake address increase stake weight (FIP-101 balance model). Official portal Top-Ups below 50 FB are gated to ActiveMiner only.
Primary miner product: opt-in pool pay-to-stake or forward-to-stake. Portal Top-Up is secondary. Silent Stratum redirection to a stake address is forbidden.
No consensus or node change. This FIP defines staking-portal policy and pool integration rails only.
Owners: staking portal / tx-builder, staking documentation, Fractal core (allowlist), and allowlisted pools (attestation; optional compound).
Stake address discovery: UniSat (or equivalent) wallet connect, and/or an open pubkey derive tool. Pools MUST NOT hold miner stake keys.

Parameters open for core: MIN_TOPUP (recommended 1 FB); MINER_ACTIVITY_WINDOW (default 7 days).

Abstract

This proposal extends FIP-101 Index Mining staking with an official Mining → Index Mining compounding path for active miners, verified through Fractal-allowlisted mining pools.

The Initial Stake (Binding) minimum remains 50 FB for all users. After a Binding exists, stake weight equals the confirmed balance of the bound stake address. Official portal Top-Ups below 50 FB require both an existing Binding and ActiveMiner status. Non-miner stakers retain today’s ≥ 50 FB rules for official adds.

Allowlisted pools MAY offer opt-in pay-to-stake (or forward mining rewards to the bound stake address) so miners can compound without repeating the 50 FB gate on every add. Permissionless and merged-mining FB payouts both qualify when the pool can attest the miner’s Fractal payout address.

This proposal does not change consensus Indexer blocks, scripts, proofs, 1:1:1 reward allocation, or settlement.

Proposal Summary

Binding: MIN_STAKE_INIT = 50 FB for the first Binding (all users). Default: miner self-funds and signs. Optional: accumulate, then bind once.
Compound: after Binding, credits to the stake address increase weight. The recommended rail is opt-in pool pay-to-stake or forward-to-stake.
Portal Top-Up: amounts ≥ MIN_TOPUP and < 50 FB only if ActiveMiner.
Miner proof: allowlisted pool attestation (not self-declaration), for permissionless or merged-mining FB addresses.
Mechanics: Top-Up and compound are payments to the bound stake address; no new consensus operation; no new stake inscription per credit.
Deployment: portal, allowlist, attestation schema, documentation, and ≥1 live attestation path; no hard fork.

Motivation

Many home miners and pool participants earn well below 50 FB per payout cycle. After Initial Stake they need a compounding path into Index Mining without another 50 FB gate on every add.
Fractal’s block economy targets 1:1:1 (merged mining : permissionless mining : indexing). Active miners already participate in the mining pillars; without a compound rail they rarely capture Index Mining yield from the same hashrate.
Opening official sub-50 Top-Ups to all stakers would weaken the 50 FB anti-dust gate. Miner privilege therefore requires verifiable mining activity—consistent with Index Mining’s reliance on proofs rather than self-declaration.
Allowlisted pools already observe shares and FB payouts (permissionless or merged). They are the natural attestation layer and the practical payout rail for opt-in compound.
The FIP-101 stake-indexer already treats stake weight as the stake-address balance after Binding. This FIP makes that compounding path official, gated, and operable by pools—without consensus risk.

Goals and Non-Goals

Goals

Provide an official Mining → Index Mining compounding path for ActiveMiners
Preserve the 50 FB Binding minimum for all users
Define allowlist attestation for permissionless and merged-mining FB payout addresses
Require clear stake-address discovery (wallet connect and/or open pubkey derive)
Recommend opt-in pool pay-to-stake / forward-to-stake as the primary rail
Provide ActiveMiner-gated portal Top-Up as a secondary rail
Avoid consensus risk

Non-goals

Official sub-50 Top-Ups for all stakers
Self-declaration as sole proof of miner status
Lowering Binding below 50 FB
Changes to consensus, scripts, or settlement
Silent default of Stratum / pool payout to a stake address
Pool custody of miner stake keys
Requiring every pool to ship pay-to-stake for activation (a working attestation path is sufficient; pay-to-stake is strongly recommended)

Protocol Basis (FIP-101, Unchanged)

Binding. A valid fip101,1,stake,<indexer_id> inscription binds (user_address, indexer_id) to a derived Taproot stake address. Official builders enforce amount ≥ MIN_STAKE_INIT (50 FB) for this first Binding.
Weight. After Binding, stake_weight = confirmed_balance(stake_address). Balance deltas update weight. Later credits do not require a new stake inscription.
Exit. The miner retains private-key control. Unstake and claim remain miner-signed. Pools MUST NOT hold stake keys.
Portal policy versus chain. This FIP constrains official portal and builder UX (the same layer as today’s 50 FB gate). Raw on-chain credits to a bound stake address still affect balance. ActiveMiner gating applies to official sub-50 Top-Up offers.

Specification

1. Definitions

Term	Meaning
Payout address	Miner’s Fractal mining receipt address (permissionless or merged FB) and the FIP-101 actor / portal wallet identity used for Binding
Stake address	Derived Taproot vault for `(indexer_id, pubkey, address_type)`
Binding / Initialized	A valid `fip101,1,stake,<indexer_id>` linking the user to a stake address for that indexer
Top-Up	A confirmed credit to a bound stake address that increases weight; the official portal path MAY amount-gate this action
Compound / pay-to-stake	Opt-in pool payout or forward of mining rewards to the bound stake address
ActiveMiner	A valid attestation from at least one allowlisted pool (see §5)
`MIN_STAKE_INIT`	50 FB
`MIN_TOPUP`	Recommended 1 FB (≥ dust); final value set by core
`MINER_ACTIVITY_WINDOW`	Default 7 days; final value set by core

2. Miner flows

2.1 Default — self-fund Binding, then compound

The miner connects a wallet (UniSat or equivalent) on Fractal mainnet. The portal reads address and pubkey.
The miner selects an indexer. The portal derives and displays the stake address.
The miner stakes ≥ MIN_STAKE_INIT and signs the Binding. ActiveMiner status is not required for Binding.
The miner opts in to compound on an allowlisted pool (pay-to-stake or forward-to-stake).
Subsequent mining rewards credit the stake address; weight increases. The miner claims and unstakes later with their own keys.

2.2 Optional — accumulate-to-50 cold start

For miners who do not yet hold 50 FB:

Perform the same opt-in (address, pubkey, indexer).
Mining rewards MAY accumulate (in wallet and/or pool ledger) until Binding principal reaches ≥ 50 FB.
The miner signs the Binding stake (≥ MIN_STAKE_INIT). A pool MAY help fund principal only if the miner remains the inscription actor and retains sole exit-key control.
After Binding, the same compound rules as §2.1 apply.

Cold start is optional. Miners who can fund 50 FB themselves SHOULD use §2.1.

2.3 Portal Top-Up (secondary)

ActiveMiners with a Binding MAY use official portal Top-Up for amounts ≥ MIN_TOPUP and < MIN_STAKE_INIT. Non-ActiveMiners MUST be offered official adds only at ≥ MIN_STAKE_INIT.

3. Admission (official portal and builders)

TopUpAllowed = Initialized(user, indexer_id) AND ActiveMiner(payout_address)

If not Initialized, stake builders MUST reject amount < MIN_STAKE_INIT. Initial Stake MUST NOT require ActiveMiner.
Official Top-Up with amount < MIN_STAKE_INIT MUST require TopUpAllowed and amount ≥ MIN_TOPUP, and MUST pay the bound stake address (no new stake inscription).
If Initialized but not ActiveMiner, official builders MUST NOT offer sub-50 Top-Up and MUST require ≥ MIN_STAKE_INIT for official adds.
If Binding or attestation is unknown or unavailable, builders MUST fail closed (no sub-50 Top-Up; enforce the Binding minimum).

4. Stake-address discovery

stake_address = DeriveStakeAddress(indexer_id, user_pubkey, address_type)

Derivation MUST match stake-indexer / unstake-tool (NUMS internal key and leaf committing indexer_id, address_type, and x-only pubkey).

The official portal MUST:

Connect a Fractal mainnet wallet (UniSat or equivalent)
Read address and pubkey
Require indexer selection
Derive and display the stake address before Stake, Top-Up, or compound opt-in guidance (client-side derive or POST /tx/stake-address)

Official or Fractal-sponsored tooling MUST also provide a keyless derive page or script (pubkey, indexer_id, and address type as required). Tools MUST NOT request seeds or private keys.

The following are forbidden:

Self-declaration as sole proof of miner status
Deriving a stake address from payout address alone
Treating “on a non-allowlisted pool” as ActiveMiner

5. Pool allowlist, attestation, and compound rails

Fractal core MUST publish a Pool Allowlist including at least pool_id, attestation URL, status, and supported mining modes. Core MAY add, suspend, or remove pools.
An address is Active at a pool if, within MINER_ACTIVITY_WINDOW, it has accepted shares or a pool FB payout at that pool (permissionless or merged-mining FB credit).
Allowlisted pools MUST expose attestation over HTTPS, for example:

GET /v1/fip104/miner-attestation?address=<fractal_address>

Minimum JSON fields: pool_id, address, active, expires_at. Signed attestations MAY be added later.

The portal MUST query allowlisted endpoints. ActiveMiner is true if any allowlisted response returns active: true with a future expires_at. Cache TTL MUST NOT exceed one hour. On error or timeout, the portal MUST fail closed for sub-50 Top-Up.
Attestation is portal policy, not consensus. Pools MUST NOT hold stake keys. False attestations MUST be grounds for delisting.
Default pool configuration MUST pay the miner’s payout address, not the stake address.
Opt-in compound is strongly recommended. After Binding and explicit miner opt-in recorded by the pool, the miner MAY set:
- pool reward address = bound stake address (P2TR), or
- pool forward of mining credits to the bound stake address in chunks ≥ MIN_TOPUP.
Compound MUST NOT be a silent default. The miner’s control wallet remains the Stake / Claim / Unstake actor. The miner selects the indexer at Binding; pools MUST NOT silently choose or change indexer.
Allowlisted pools MAY deep-link portal Top-Up. Pay-to-stake is not required for FIP activation if attestation works, but it is the intended primary miner experience.
Example eligible operator when listed (non-exclusive): PrimeTriad (pool.primetriad.com).

6. Unchanged FIP-101 surfaces

Rewards, proofs, commission, settlement (~20,160 blocks), claim, scripts, and 1:1:1 allocation remain unchanged.

Component	Change under FIP-104
Node / consensus	None
stake-indexer minimums	None required (weight already follows balance)
Portal	Required: derive, Binding init, ActiveMiner Top-Up, compound guidance
Allowlist + pool attestation APIs	Required
Pool pay-to-stake / forward	Strongly recommended
Derive tool + documentation	Required

Worked Example — On-Chain Miner Flow

Illustrative amounts and timing. Addresses are abbreviated. Indexer example: 1818297:10 (PrimeIndexer).

Actors

Actor	Role
Alice	Home miner; wallet `bc1qalice…`; pubkey `P_alice`
Pool P	Allowlisted pool; pays FB; exposes attestation API
Portal	Official Index Mining UI / transaction builder
Chain / stake-indexer	Confirms transactions; maintains Bindings; `stake_weight = balance(stake_address)`

Day 0 — Discovery and Binding (self-fund)

Alice connects UniSat on Fractal mainnet. The portal reads bc1qalice… and P_alice.
Alice selects indexer 1818297:10.
The portal derives:

S = DeriveStakeAddress(1818297:10, P_alice, address_type)
# → bc1pstake… (Taproot script-path vault; NUMS internal key; leaf CHECKSIG(P_alice))

Alice stakes 50 FB. The builder produces the stake flow whose inscription and first non-OP_RETURN output satisfy:

inscription: fip101,1,stake,1818297:10
output:      50 FB → S
actor:       P_alice (tapscript)

Alice signs. Transactions confirm.
stake-indexer records Binding (S → user=bc1qalice…, indexer=1818297:10) and sets weight from balance(S) ≈ 50 FB.

Checkpoint: only a transaction whose actor pubkey derives to Alice and whose stake output equals S creates this Binding. Pool P cannot forge Alice’s Binding without Alice’s key.

Day 0 — Opt-in compound (pool)

On Pool P, Alice enables compound-to-Index-Mining and confirms that displayed S matches portal (or pool) derive.
Pool stores { payout_address, stake_address: S, compound: true, indexer_id }.
Default payout remains the wallet address unless Alice explicitly selected pay-to-stake. Compound remains opt-in.

Days 1–7 — Mining credits increase Index Mining weight

Alice continues mining. Pool P accepts shares for bc1qalice… (permissionless or merged FB accounting).
At payout, Alice earned 3.2 FB. With compound=true and Binding present, Pool P broadcasts an ordinary payment:

inputs:  pool hot-wallet UTXOs
output:  3.2 FB → S
# no FIP-101 inscription required

After confirmation, stake-indexer applies the balance delta:

stake_weight(Alice, 1818297:10) ← balance(S) ≈ 53.2 FB

The pattern repeats each payout (or in forward chunks ≥ MIN_TOPUP). Alice does not sign compound credits.

Checkpoint: Pool P can send to S but cannot spend S. Spending requires Alice’s script-path signature. Compound is not custody.

Day 7+ — Attestation and optional portal Top-Up

Portal queries:

GET /v1/fip104/miner-attestation?address=bc1qalice…
→ { "pool_id": "...", "address": "bc1qalice…", "active": true, "expires_at": "..." }

If Alice later adds 2 FB via portal Top-Up and TopUpAllowed holds, the builder pays S.
If attestation times out, portal fails closed on sub-50 Top-Up; pool pay-to-stake continues to work on-chain.

Day 30 — Claim and unstake (unchanged FIP-101 control)

After the settlement window (~20,160 blocks from allocation), Alice claims Index Mining rewards with a wallet signature. Claim output is controlled by Alice, not Pool P.
Alice unstakes via portal or unstake-tool by spending UTXOs on S with P_alice. balance(S) falls and weight falls. Pool P cannot block exit.

Edge cases

Event	Result
No Binding	Credits to an unbound address are ordinary funds, not Index Mining weight
Pool pays wrong address	Alice’s weight unchanged; mitigate with derive match before enabling compound
Alice disables compound	Subsequent payouts return to `bc1qalice…`
Pool falsifies attestation	Delist; portal gate only; stake keys unaffected
Third party pays S	Weight rises (balance model); portal still requires attestation for ActiveMiner Top-Up

Security Considerations and Threat Model

On-chain and cryptographic properties (FIP-101)

Property	Mechanism	Implication for FIP-104
Stake vault ownership	Taproot script path `OP_CHECKSIG` on miner x-only pubkey; NUMS internal key	Pool payments to S are not spendable by the pool
Binding authenticity	Stake output MUST equal `DeriveStakeAddress(...)`; actor from tapscript	Pool cannot bind a miner without the miner’s signature
Weight integrity	stake-indexer: weight = confirmed balance of bound S	Compound uses ordinary confirmed credits; no new cryptographic primitive
Exit	Miner-signed unstake and claim	Non-custodial after Binding
Reorganizations	Same Binding and balance indexing as FIP-101	No new reorg surface

Portal and attestation (off-chain policy)

Threat	Mitigation
False miner self-declaration	Allowlisted pools only; activity window; fail closed; delist
Sold or rented attestations	Delist and pool policy; optional signatures later; cannot move stake keys
Attestation outage	Fail closed for sub-50 portal Top-Up; pay-to-stake unaffected
Wrong stake address / phishing	Display derive; require wallet pubkey; provide open derive tool; Binding-only display
Silent payout redirection to stake	Forbidden; compound requires explicit opt-in
Pool choosing indexer for the miner	Forbidden after Binding; miner selects indexer at Binding
On-chain dust credits after Binding	Portal keeps ≥ 50 FB for non-ActiveMiner official adds; raw credits may still affect balance (inherent limit of policy-layer FIPs)
Pool funds Binding but retains keys	Forbidden; miner MUST remain inscription actor and sole exit-key holder

Trust boundaries

Trust pool for:     share accounting, payout execution, attestation honesty
Do not trust pool for: stake custody, unstake, claim, indexer choice after Binding

Trust portal for:   official minimums, ActiveMiner gating UX
Do not trust portal for: consensus validity (nodes and stake-indexer define weight)

This matches existing miner trust in pools for mining payouts, while keeping Index Mining principal under FIP-101’s Taproot non-custodial model.

Backward compatibility

The 50 FB Binding minimum is preserved. Non-miners cannot use official sub-50 Top-Up.
Existing Bindings remain valid. Nodes require no upgrade.
Activation requires portal support plus ≥1 allowlisted attestation path. Pay-to-stake is recommended and not activation-blocking.

Design Rationale

Effective onboarding rails in proof-of-stake and mining ecosystems tend to share one property: they remove repeated friction between an existing cashflow and a yield sink, without taking user keys.

FIP-104 applies that pattern to Fractal’s 1:1:1 design:

Cashflow: mining FB (permissionless or merged)
Yield sink: Index Mining stake weight
Friction removed: repeated 50 FB official add gate and manual restake
Keys retained: Taproot stake vault and miner-signed exit

This proposal intentionally does not introduce a new consensus asset, liquid staking token, or restaking marketplace. It remains a staking-system policy change with pool rails, so it can activate without a hard fork. Impact scales with allowlisted pool adoption of opt-in pay-to-stake.

Expected Impact

Outcome	Expectation
Home miners	Compound into Index Mining after one Binding without repeated 50 FB gates
Pools	Standard attestation and optional pay-to-stake on-ramp
Permissionless and merged mining	Both, via FB payout-address attestation
Index Mining stake	Gradual hashrate-backed credit flow, not a one-time dump
Non-miners	Unchanged official ≥ 50 FB add rules

Suggested 30-day success metrics after activation: compound / ActiveMiner Top-Up volume (FB), unique compounding addresses, and share of allowlisted-pool hashrate opted into compound mode.

Execution Process

Core review; freeze MIN_TOPUP and MINER_ACTIVITY_WINDOW.
Publish allowlist format and attestation schema.
Ship portal: derive, Binding init, ActiveMiner-gated Top-Up, and compound guidance.
Onboard ≥1 allowlisted pool with live attestation; recommend pay-to-stake.
Update documentation; execute test vectors; release as a staking-system update (no flag day).

Test Vectors

ID	Init?	ActiveMiner?	Action	Amt	Expected
T1	No	—	Stake	49	Reject
T2	No	—	Stake	50	Accept (Binding)
T3	Yes	Yes	Portal Top-Up	1	Accept
T4	Yes	No	Portal Top-Up	1	Reject (require ≥ 50)
T5	Yes	No	Official add	50	Accept
T6	No	Yes	Portal Top-Up	5	Reject (no Binding)
T7	Yes	timeout	Portal Top-Up	1	Reject (fail closed)
T8	Yes	self-declare only	Portal Top-Up	1	Reject
T9	—	—	UniSat derive vs open derive	—	Identical stake address
T10	Yes	Yes	Opt-in pay-to-stake credit	1	Weight increases
T11	No	Yes	Accumulate only, no Binding	—	No Index Mining weight
T12	Yes	Yes	Merged-mining FB payout attested	—	ActiveMiner true if pool allowlisted

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